# Songs that just wouldn't fly today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283 "2003-02-11T04:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/121 "2003-02-15T02:22:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*So, “Because I Got High” by Afroman wasn’t a hit in America? > > I think some people in this thread haven’t been listening to the radio recently. > \*\* Sure it was. It was more popular than **Herion Girl** by Everclear, but not as big of a hit as **Semi-Charmed Kinda Life** by 3Eb, **High** by Feeder or even **High** by Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, but you’re right, there’s at least a few popular, fairly recent songs about drug abuse on the radio these days. I’m sure someone could come up with an exhustive list of them. Frankly, I’m surprised to hear **Come out and play** by the Offspring on the radio on a regular basis. I was sure they’d shelf it after the school shootings, but they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/122 "2003-02-15T13:05:10Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Hank Fescue_ > Copperhead Road by Steve earle speaks of everything from running moonshine to growing pot to killing cops. Song was very popular and got lots o airplay in the eighties. And lots of airplay in the 90s. And today. **elfkin477** : We can add any number of Cypress Hill songs to our list, too. If I had a couple of spare hours, I’d comb through this list and find a modern counterpart to every single song mentioned in this thread. As I said previously, have you guys not been listening to your radios or something? ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Fescue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/49beb7/32.png) [@Hank\_Fescue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Fescue)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/123 "2003-02-15T14:51:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*And lots of airplay in the 90s. And today. > > **elfkin477** : We can add any number of Cypress Hill songs to our list, too. > > If I had a couple of spare hours, I’d comb through this list and find a modern counterpart to every single song mentioned in this thread. As I said previously, have you guys not been listening to your radios or something? \*\* Actually, yes. I stopped listening to the radio about the time that I got a CD player for my house, both cars and a portable. Most of favorites are obscure indie stuff that you would never hear on the radio. Too good for mass consumption. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/124 "2003-06-13T14:26:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*If Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Clair” sounds dirty, then our society has gotten awfully paranoid! > > It’s not a song about a pedophile, it’s a song about a doting uncle being driven to exasperation while babysitting for his adorable niece! > > I’m not sure if Gilbert (real name: Raymond O’Sullivan) actually had a niece named Clair, but when she says, “Will you marry me Uncle Ray,” it’s just the kind of adorable thing a little girl might say off-handedly to her favorite Uncle. And “Uncle Ray” melts when he hears it… which is the only reason he doesn’t blow his stack when refuses to go to bed, and keeps asking for a glass of water, etc. \*\* I had always heard that Calir was his (now estranged) managers daughter ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/125 "2003-06-13T14:30:52Z")
Oh and while we’re talking about Gilbert O’Sullivan and songs that wouldn’t fly today _cough cough_ > [@](#): > > I may be old fashioned, so what if i am, i’m not any different to any other man, i know what you’re thinking, and you’ve every right to moan, but I believe, A WOMANS PLACE IS IN THE HOME!!! p.s. In no way do i endorse the sentiments expressed in the above song… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/126 "2003-06-13T15:41:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > \*\*_In the Summertime_ by Mungo Jerry > > “If her Daddy’s rich, take her out for a meal, > If her Daddy’s poor, just do what you feel” > \*\* I remember the girls complaining about that line even in 1970. Didn’t stop it from being a **huge** hit, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/127 "2003-06-13T15:50:59Z")
The lyrics to the Beatles, “We Can Work It Out”–were they trying to be ironic/ “Think of what you’re saying, you can get it wrong and still you think that it’s alright Think of what I’m saying, we can work it out so get it straight or say goodnight” So, we can work it out, as long as you change to my way of thinking. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/128 "2003-06-13T16:26:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gail \* > \*\*So, we can work it out, as long as you change to my way of thinking. \*\* How would that not fly today? Besides, when you get down to it that’s how 90% of people have “arguments”. They’re great lyrics in that sense. Also, someone mentioned “Getting Better”. The whole point of the song is “It’s getting better all the time _it can’t get much worse._” I think we need to make a difference between songs that were meant to be shocking, like old blues numbers, or “Brown Sugar”, and songs that reflected accepted ideas of the time. I don’t find all the early-sixties “sweet sixteen” songs wrong in any way because mostly they were targeted at people about that age. However, I don’t think they’d fly terribly well today. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283/129 "2003-06-13T18:48:17Z")
I tried posting this an hour ago, but the board ate my post. Anyway, I want to add my name to the list of people that thinks this thread is a little weird. All of these songs would fly today. Like some have already mentioned, the stuff by Eminem, Prodigy and Limp Bizkit is a lot worse than any of these songs. And then there’s ones that haven’t even been mentioned yet like “Closer” by NIN and “The Sickness” by Disturbed, which often show up on radio edited but still very understandable. Nothing is off limits these days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-just-wouldnt-fly-today/154283.md?page=6)